Wow, we all knew it was coming, but I don’t think many expected Roku’s new set of media streamers to be as small or as powerful as they are. Roku’s lastest media streamer is 3-inches wide (the 2nd gen. Apple TV is 3.9-inches) and now boasts that ability to play games on-screen using its fancy new Bluetooth accelerometer and gyro remote (included with the XS model). With a flick of the wrist you can now play games like Angry Birds and navigate channels like Netflix, Facebook, Hulu Plus, EPIX, Major League Baseball, and Pandora. All models — the $59.99 HD, $79.99 XD, $99.99 XS — feature Dolby Digital Plus, Wi-Fi, HDMI, and a microSD card slot (some games require storage). The top of the line XS model also includes support for 1080p Netflix video streaming, a USB port, and Ethernet connectivity. Lastly, another nice touch is that these models only use up about 1.5 Watts of power when streaming a movie!

“Roku is the best-selling streaming player on the market because of its simplicity, breadth of content and value. Now we’re setting the bar even higher with Roku 2 – a more powerful platform with new features including casual gaming,” said Roku Founder and CEO Anthony Wood. “We’ve worked closely with Rovio to bring the first full version of Angry Birds to the TV – and best of all, we’re including it for free with the top-of-the-line XS model.”

New channels launching soon on Roku 2 include Facebook, AOL HD, and FOXNews.com. Additional games will be available shortly after launch including Angry Birds Rio and Angry Birds Seasons.

The Roku 2 platform offers nearly 300 channels of streaming entertainment including movies and TV shows from Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video and Crackle; live and on-demand sports from NBA Game Time, NHL GameCenter Live and Ultimate Fighting Championship; music from Pandora, MOG, Rdio and TuneIn Radio; photos and videos from Flickr and Vimeo; plus news and entertainment from around the world.

All three Roku 2 models feature built-in wireless, Bluetooth for connecting a game remote and a microSD slot to support additional game storage. The Roku 2 HD player supports up to 720p HD video while the Roku 2 XD player supports up to 1080p HD video. Roku 2 also adds several significant enhancements to its acclaimed Netflix experience, including support for English subtitles, Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 pass-through and up to 1080p HD video quality (on the XD and XS models).

The Roku 2 XS player provides the ultimate casual gaming experience on the TV. Now, Angry Birds fans who love to launch birds at jeering green pigs can enjoy the full version of the game for the first time on the TV, free of charge. The Roku 2 XS includes the new Roku Game Remote with motion control which has been optimized for bird-slinging action on the big screen. The Roku 2 XS also features an Ethernet port for a wired Internet connection and a USB port for playing music, videos, and photos off of any USB drive. [press release]